


The Real Reason

by Taste_of_Suburbia



Category: Fantastic Four (Movies 2005-2007)
Genre: Cuddling & Snuggling, Emotional Constipation, Falling In Love, Family, Fandom Stocking 2018, Fever, Fluff, Friends to Lovers, Friendship, Hurt/Comfort, Light Angst, Living Together, M/M, Pining, Pre-Relationship, Romance, Sick Johnny, caring Ben
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-01-13
Updated: 2019-01-13
Packaged: 2019-10-09 05:56:27
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,063
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17401292
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Taste_of_Suburbia/pseuds/Taste_of_Suburbia
Summary: As Reed had told him more than once: ‘You offered for him to move in with you,youdeal with him, Ben.’Or, Ben panics over and mothers and even indulges a sick Johnny.





	The Real Reason

**Author's Note:**

> A gift for dcm’s stocking for Fandom Stocking. I couldn’t resist a little sick Johnny and mothering Ben. And thanks for requesting these two again, hope you like!

 

“Kid, you ain’t lookin’ so hot,” Ben sympathized, passing a hand briefly over Johnny’s forehead, wary of being burned. Johnny always ran a little hotter than everyone else, though now his forehead emitted a raging heat and sweat was gathering at his temples.

“Aww, Ben, take some pity on me, will ya?” Johnny pouted. He threw his legs up on Ben’s couch and Ben didn’t have the heart to push them down like he always did, not when Johnny absentmindedly clung to a blanket half-draped over them and snuggled deeper into the worn couch.

Ben wiped his hand off discreetly on a towel and slid one of Reed’s specially designed thermometers, ones that wouldn’t shatter upon contact with Johnny’s skin, onto his feverish roommate’s tongue. It lit up instantly like a siren. If that didn’t raise alarms, then Johnny obeying Ben’s poking and prodding without emitting more than a low grumble  _definitely_ did. “Sue know you ain’t been feeling well lately?”

“Sue’s busy with girl time, you know, with the friends she hasn’t spent more than an hour’s time with in years. She needs time off, Ben, and I’m not going to interrupt that just because I’ve got the sniffles and my stomach’s a little funky.”

Ben recalled how much Reed had pushed her and pushed her until she caved and really, Suzie needed time off more than any of them did, but she was the one who always mothered Johnny when he was sick or misbehaving or just being  _Johnny._ Ben didn’t know how to do any of that stuff, he didn’t know how to make Johnny feel better or what to say. He weighed calling Reed because he was feeling slightly panicked and didn’t want to take any chances, but then he realized the best thing he could do was just give Johnny fluids and monitor his fever and  _then_ do the freaking out if he got any worse. 

_Shouldn’t be too difficult, right?_

Johnny took advantage of that moment to moan pitifully and hold his stomach and then his head, and then moan even louder and more mournfully when he couldn’t adequately hold both at the same time.

_What have I gotten myself into?_

As Reed had told him more than once: ‘You offered for him to move in with you,  _you_ deal with him, Ben.’

Yet, Ben also reminisced with pride how Suzie had told him once that he took good care of her brother and that she trusted him entirely with his well-being. That steeled Ben a little, convincing him that he didn’t need anyone but himself to look after Johnny.

Even so, Ben sighed in indecision, placed the thermometer on the counter and glanced back and forth between the occupied couch and his phone. He made his choice when he noticed Johnny’s fingernails digging into his scalp. “Hey… hey!” He pressed, taking Johnny’s hands in his and pulling them away. “Your head bothering you, huh?” Johnny nodded miserably and shivered.

Ben held his damp hands for a moment awkwardly before squeezing them in comfort. He sat down on the nearby ottoman that had been designed to hold his weight, continuing to hold them. Johnny’s eyes were exhausted, though wide and fever bright, his hair sticking up in every direction imaginable. All of his clothes were still on, which was a miraculous feat for Johnny, but Ben couldn’t stop dwelling on how uncomfortable he looked.

He made another decision then.

Ben released Johnny’s hands and grasped his bare feet next, settling himself on the far end of the couch and placing them in his lap. Johnny sat up with great effort and simply tilted over, pillowing his heated cheek on Ben’s shoulder. Ben stilled at that, amazed at the kid honest to god  _cuddling_ him and even more shocked that he was just sitting there and allowing him the courtesy. He swallowed roughly. “Don’t know if you wanna be doing that, I’m sure the pillow’s a lot more comfortable.”

Johnny shook his head. “You’re soft enough, Ben, for a rock,” though he pushed himself up again and made a move to go back to the other end of the couch upon realizing how tense and uncomfortable Ben was.

Ben wasn’t having any of it.

He pulled Johnny firmly though also gently back towards him until he was all but splayed out on top of Ben. “It’s the only time I’m ever going to offer, fireball,” he explained, “so you better take me up on it.” The words calmed him also, convincing him that this was what Johnny needed right now and that was exactly what he was going to deliver.

Johnny grumbled softly but acquiesced, Ben’s stubbornness finally exhausting him enough that he settled, sinking as deeply into Ben as was allowed. Ben’s heart tightened in his chest as the kid emitted a contented sigh, though not when Johnny started drooling on his shoulder. The things he had to put up with.

“Love you, Ben,” Johnny mumbled, yawning loudly and then snuggling further into Ben until he was sure his arm would go numb anytime now. Still, a sleepy Johnny was a quiet and adorable Johnny. Looking at him like this, it hammered home to Ben all the more of just how young Johnny was and just how much Ben really did want to take care of him, hence convincing the kid to move in.

It also made Ben realize that he hadn’t regretted his decision yet, even considering all the things he got mad at Johnny over: leaving his boxers lying around  _everywhere_ , slung over lamps and the breakfast bar and even the TV, making Ben buy oceans of junk food and littering Ben’s couch with cheese puff crumbs and cookie crumbs and crumbs belonging to god knows what, Johnny waking him up early and keeping him up late and complaining and teasing and pranking Ben mercilessly. The list went on and on and on, but at least Ben’s life wasn’t monotonous, even when all the saving the world stuff wasn’t going on. 

Nope. No regrets. Not yet.

Though there would be if he didn’t get his head out of his ass and admit to Johnny the  _real_ reason he had convinced him to share his spacious studio apartment. 

“Love ya too, Johnny,” he admitted.

_Tomorrow,_ he vowed.  _I’ll tell him when he’s feeling better_ tomorrow _._

**FIN**

 


End file.
